


but remind death to fear me instead (what won't I do for you?)

by Tatsumaki_sama



Series: cross your heart and hope to die [4]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Badass, Fear, Friendship, Gen, Light Angst, Magical Realism, Male Friendship, Panic, Protectiveness, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 20:04:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14880318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tatsumaki_sama/pseuds/Tatsumaki_sama
Summary: Joker had once teased that it wouldn't hurt to have him on speed dial. After encountering the monstrous Shadows that terrorize a contorted world, Ryuji believed him.





	but remind death to fear me instead (what won't I do for you?)

**Author's Note:**

> Continuation of "let me escort you further down the rabbit hole", this time from the perspective of Ryuji. I also took a bit of a different take on the Fear and Despair status aliments. And I just had to include a certain Persona into making an appearance.

“ For the record, this is totally your fault.”

 

“ I concur.”

 

“ What?! Why are you pinning this on me? You were the one who wanted to investigate the scams in Shibuya.”

 

“ And who was it that chased after that shady guy while yelling after him?”

 

“ ... Okay, that might be on me.”

 

~.~.~

 

If being in some distorted world that should have been Shibuya and seeing walking ATMs wasn't the weirdest thing that happened to him today, then Ryuji would have said encountering a talking monster cat was.

 

“ I'm telling you, Joker sent me!” it squeaked irritably, glaring at them with its large blue eyes. “ I'm here to help!”

 

“ You could be trying to trick us for all we know,” Ryuji shot back.

 

“ Show us some proof first,” Ann demanded.

 

“ Of course I will, miss.” Was it just Ryuji but did the monster cat's voice become gentler and respectful when addressing Ann? And only Ann? It somehow pissed Ryuji off. “ Kamoshida's Treasure manifested as an Olympic medal, did it not? And for Madarame's, it became the real portrait of Sayuri. Am I right?”

 

“ That is true,” Yusuke slowly said. “ Only Joker and us three would know the Treasures' genuine form. And I do recall hearing a cat meowing in Sensei's home prior to my first meeting with Joker.”

 

“ See? That proves it. So hurry up and follow me.”

 

“ We don't have to go anywhere with you,” Ryuji snapped.

 

“ Keep your voice down!” the cat snapped. It kept looking around nervously. “ The Shadows will hear you if you keep yapping so loudly.”

 

“ What the hell is a – ?”

 

Ryuji didn't finish his question and the cat didn't get a chance to hush him again when a hulking demon wearing a police uniform and a fly-like gas mask approached them.

 

The monster cat hissed and immediately stood between it and them.

 

“ Who are you?” the demon rumbled in its monstrous voice. “ You are trespassing on the bank president's property.”

 

“ Bank president?” Ann repeated in confusion.

 

“ Intruders will be punished,” it growled, raising a spiked club.

 

They all tensed. The cat darted forward, tiny paw outstretched –

 

Just as a flash of cold steel rested across the demon's throat.

 

“ If you value your life, you will quietly leave.”

 

Ryuji was never happier than to hear the Phantom Thief's voice. And judging from the way Ann's shoulders relaxed and Yusuke exhaled, so were they.

 

Joker's voice was soft yet teetering on something _dangerous_ enough to carry through with his threat.

 

The demon wisely retreated into the streets without another word.

 

“ Dude, that was so badass!” Ryuji couldn't stop the words, barely able to contain his awe.

 

“ Tch, what a showoff,” the cat said in an exasperated yet fond tone.

 

Joker smiled. “ Though I'm glad that Morgana found you first.”

 

“ Wait. The cat wasn't lying after all?”

 

“ Of course I wasn't! Joker's under my tutelage. Remember that, blondie!”

 

“ What did you just call me?!”

 

Looking amused at their interactions, Joker then turned towards Ann and Yusuke. “ And you two?” he asked, his voice softening slightly.

 

Ann smiled. “ Better, now that you are here.”

 

“ Indeed,” Yusuke nodded appreciatively. “ The sight of you is a refreshing change of scenery in this dreary world.”

 

“ It's a good thing you showed up just in time,” Ryuji added.

 

“ I would hate for something to happen to my investments,” Joker wryly said.

 

“ Hey!”

 

But for all his jesting, Ryuji could tell that Joker was worried for them. He looked as relieved to find them as they were to see him.

 

Who would have thought that the Phantom Thief would have such a heart?

 

That's when there was a slight cough, just enough for them to turn their attention behind Joker.

 

A brown-haired girl wearing Shujin colors stood some ways away, watching them a scrutinizing gaze. Ryuji didn't recognize her but Ann clearly did, because she hissed out, “ What is _she_ doing here?”

 

“ She stumbled into this world just like you,” Joker shrugged.

 

Ryuji glanced between the fuming Ann and utterly calm Joker. “ You guys know her?”

 

“ And you don't? She's the student council president of our school,” Ann heatedly said.

 

Ahh, no wonder Ann was on the defence. After all it was an open secret that the entire student council knew about Kamoshida and the mistreatment of the volleyball team and did nothing, sitting idly around while covering up for the principal and the school staff.

 

“ I'm Makoto Nijima,” said girl introduced herself, taking the polite route. “ I already know you two, Ann Takamaki and Ryuji Sakamoto, both second-years at Shujin.” She turned her gaze over at Yusuke. “ And you must be Madarame's former pupil. Yusuke Kitagawa, am I correct?”

 

Yusuke blinked in surprise. Ryuji spluttered. “ How does she – ?”

 

“ Of course she would know,” Ann bristled. “ It's her job to know.”

 

Makoto narrowed her eyes. “ What's that supposed to mean?”

 

“ The principal wants you to know anything and everything about us students, right? Like how you knew what was happening with Kamoshida?”

 

“ I didn't,” Makoto reluctantly said. “ He was a good teacher until ... that day.”

 

Ann bitterly snorted. “ You _would_ take the school's side. What a good student council president you are.”

 

“ And what about you?” Makoto retorted, her red eyes accusing. “ What did you do for your friend? You were closer to her than I was. What did you do to help?”

 

“ There – there wasn't anything I could do!”

 

For a moment, Ryuji thought Ann might hit Makoto for bringing up Shiho. Yusuke and Morgana, unaware of the situation, looked between them in confusion. Ryuji had half a mind of stepping in when Joker did.

 

“ You can continue your conversation another time,” he interrupted with a tone of finality. “ Unwanted company is coming.”

 

Slowly, both Ann and Makoto backed down.

 

Joker turned to the cat. “ Has an exit appeared, Morgana?”

 

“ There's one near the cinema. It's fading but it's still there.”

 

“ Go there first,” Joker ordered. “ Keep it open until they get there.”

 

“ What about you?” Morgana's ears twitched restlessly. “ It's a lot of Shadows heading over.”

 

“ I'll lead them away.” Joker turned to the rest of them. “ Head to the cinema. You can find your way there without any trouble?”

 

It was a gentle yet firm admonition directed at Ann and Makoto to set aside their conflict for now until they leave this world safely.

 

“ We will be fine,” Yusuke answered before they could say otherwise.

 

“ Good.”

 

And with a swish of his coat, Joker disappeared.

 

Morgana huffed. “ Try to keep up,” he said before scampering off, easily vanishing between the unconcerned ATMs.

 

“ Come on,” Ryuji finally said when Ann and Makoto continued to glare at one another. “ Let's get out of here.”

 

Reluctantly, they looked away and did their best to follow Morgana's distant wavering tail.

 

But no sooner than their little group turn a corner into an alleyway (where did that cat go again?), a sound resembling a clatter of chains rang somewhere in the far distance, yet so close to them.

 

_Clack. Clack._

 

“ What is that?” Yusuke said in a hushed voice.

 

“ Whatever it is, it sounds creepy,” Ann shuddered.

 

Ryuji couldn't explain it but there was a terrible sense of dread growing with each passing second. He kept looking around but saw no one.

 

Just them alone in the darkened alley.

 

_Clang. Clack. Clatter._

 

“ It's getting closer!”

 

“ Keep moving,” Makoto hissed through clenched teeth.

 

Whether it was because of terror or in agreement, none of them protested.

 

An unnatural fear crept into Ryuji's limbs, making him sluggish and numb. For unexplained reasons, every nerve within him screamed to _get away get away get away_. His heart was pounding fast, blood rushing to his head, air becoming more and more restricted.

 

Like his entire body went into _fight-or-flight_ mode, preparing to face death.

 

“ C-calm down,” he snapped at himself, feeling fearful and agitated all at once without knowing why.

 

“ What?” someone whispered.

 

Ryuji was spared from answering because someone – or something – was waiting for them at the other end of the alley.

 

It appeared humanoid, more so than the ATMs and the demon that cornered them earlier. But everything about it screamed wrongness.

 

This Shadow floated effortlessly through the air, its body contorted and twisted backwards, its tailcoats fluttering with every movement. Dark stains of blood and gore were splattered over the entirety of its front. A heavy foul odor choked down their throats. Two long-barrel rifles were loosely held in its hands and both were casually aimed right at them.

 

A long ratting sound emitted from its mouth, sucking all air from its surroundings. And even stranger, was the fact it appeared to steal the very warmth in their blood.

 

Ryuji tried to force his legs to run, run like he had for all those years.

 

But he couldn't move.

 

None of them could.

 

“ I can't – ” Ann gasped.

 

“ How is it doing this?” Yusuke gritted out.

 

“ W-who are you?” Makoto managed to demand.

 

It lowered its bloodstained sackcloth of a face towards them, like it was surveying them with interest. The material stretched in what must have been a huge lopsided grin.

 

“ Me no want to talk to you.”

 

They trembled.

 

“ Me just want to hear you _scream_.”

 

A deep tremor in the air scraped at their ears, digging hot knives at the insides of their heads. Ryuji realized with horror that it was laughing.

 

The fear that had been steadily bubbling to the surface burst and flooded over him, crashing into him like a relentless wave, drowning him and throttling him.

 

The chains across its entire body grating at their eardrums, the Shadow loomed above them.

 

There was nowhere left to run.

 

It was the end of the line.

 

This was where he was going to die.

 

_Sorry I wasn't a better son, Mom._

 

Only for a streak of blue fire to ignite the distance between them, causing the monster to hiss and retreat.

 

And then, a voice, a single staggering human voice, was able to tether Ryuji back to solid ground.

 

“ You kids certainly have the worst luck, to run into a Reaper of all things.”

 

He blinked and out of the gnawing fear, a red gloved hand reached out to touch his shoulder. All at once, his vision sharpened, the blackness eating at his eyes was gone and he remembered who he was.

 

“ You with me?”

 

Kneeling beside him was the Phantom Thief.

 

“ J-Joker?” His voice cracked.

 

“ Stay here.” The concern in Joker's voice spoke for itself. Joker gave another squeeze on his shoulder, a warm comfort to anchor Ryuji to the here and now, before Joker let go and he stepped forward to meet the monster.

 

The Reaper towered over Joker, its cloak seemingly inching closer to Joker, as if to draw him into the shadows. Ryuji wanted to shout Joker's name, wanted to stand up and fight, wanted to bring Joker back to the light, but his legs refused, his mouth was like cotton and his whole body remained frozen.

 

All he could do was watch.

 

“ I'm afraid you can't take them,” Joker calmly said.

 

One rifle dissipating like smoke, the Reaper reached one bloodstained hand towards Joker. It came close to brush Joker's cheek. “ So, could you let them go?” Joker asked, impossibly polite.

 

A horrible screech filled the air, a guttural howl, an animalistic wail. It dug through Ryuji's skull, raking through his brain like a thousand needles and scissors and knives. He wasn't sure if he had heard someone screaming. It might have been Yusuke or Ann or maybe it was just his own voice.

 

Once again, Joker's calm voice was able to cut through the pandemonium, violently snapping them out of it.

 

“ I'm pretty fond of them,” he was saying. “ I won't ask again.” His voice dipped into something deadly and threatening. “ Let them go.”

 

One bony finger had been trailing across Joker's cheek. At the end of Joker's words, it suddenly morphed into a grotesque claw, digging and marking into the skin.

 

Ryuji screamed a warning.

 

Joker moved.

 

Blue flames enveloped Joker, igniting everywhere before a silhouette of a demonic grinning face emerged. A flutter of expansive wings flared out, bold and magnificent, shattering the surrounding chains that emerged from the air, sending forth a great gust of wind that knocked almost all of them to the ground.

 

Ryuji thought he might have caught a glimpse of a red jacket and long claws and horns before what could only be Joker's true form hurled itself at the Reaper.

 

The Reaper managed to shriek once before it charged forward and it and Joker collided in a flurry of limbs and wings.

 

He tried to follow their movements but it was all too fast. Unholy screams and sounds of flesh ripping, bullets flying and bones breaking filled his ears. Flames coated in darkness danced across his vision and blurred streaks of light were spanning out in all directions.

 

He could only hope that Joker was winning.

 

And no sooner than it had started, the fight was over.

 

The Reaper was gone, leaving only them and Joker ( _their_ Joker, the mysterious human and not-so-human boy who always smirked underneath his silver mask and would never try to hurt them like those monsters lurking here) behind.

 

The fog of fear hanging over them was gone as well. Ryuji found himself clutching at his head to clear it. Makoto leaned against the wall to steady herself. Yusuke staggered forward falteringly. Ann was slowly picking herself from the ground.

 

“ Sorry about that.” Joker's tone was mild, as if he did not just defeat and vanquish an otherworldly being. The bloody gash on his cheek remained, an ugly reminder that what had transpired was no nightmare.

 

Ryuji managed to find his voice. “ What the hell was that thing?”

 

“ An old and powerful Shadow.” He helped Ryuji to his feet. “ There are plenty of creatures that walk between these worlds, hidden from sight until it suits their needs.”

 

“ Like you?”

 

Makoto's sharp voice cut across the air. She was looking at Joker.

 

Ann and Yusuke immediately protested, quick to defend Joker. Ryuji couldn't tell if there was accusation or venom in Makoto's voice.

 

Joker gazed back at Makoto. His expression was as inscrutable as ever. “ No. Not like me,” he answered softly.

 

Before they could decide if they should be relieved by that statement, Joker cheerily added.

 

“ I am much worse.”

 

He was grinning. Ryuji wondered if they should be alarmed by that.

 

“ That is reassuring,” Yusuke dryly said.

 

“ It is,” Joker said earnestly. “ It means they will stay away because I'm here. Little fish know better than to play when there are sharks around.”

 

It made Ryuji wonder just how big of a 'shark' Joker was in this world.

 

“ Come along then.” With a gentleman's grace, Joker extended an arm for Ann to steady herself with. “ Morgana can't hold the exit open for much longer.”

 

Still trying to take in what had happened and how narrowly they escaped with their lives (twice), their little group led by Joker continued onwards.

 

“ What took you guys so long?” Morgana growled when they finally arrived at the cinema. “ The gate is about to close!”

 

“ Ran into some trouble,” Joker shrugged.

 

Morgana, having finally noticed the gash on Joker's cheek, opened his mouth but Joker cut across him before he could speak.

 

“ Let's get them back to the human world first.”

 

He gestured to the gate which was no more than a wavering rift where the streets of Shibuya bustling with people absently walking by could be seen through it.

 

Ryuji had enough of this world and he would have left in a heartbeat until he noticed that both Morgana and Joker lingered behind.

 

Like they were intending to stay here.

 

“ Wait, what about you?” Ryuji blurted out.

 

Everyone stopped and looked between him and Joker. Morgana was silent, tail and ears drooping. Makoto looked contemplative. Yusuke opened his mouth to protest before Ann beat him to it.

 

“ Don't tell me you're staying here!?” Ann exclaimed in alarm.

 

The answering smile on Joker's face was forlorn. Why he had that expression, Ryuji couldn't tell.

 

“ The human world ... is not a place I belong in,” he wistfully explained.

 

Just before giving them a little push and all of them tumbled backwards and into the busy street corner of Shibuya where cars honked and passing people grumbled at the improperness and insolence of children these days.

 


End file.
